


friends (working title)

by olle



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Angst, Bullying, Childhood, Children, Cute Kids, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Real Events, Primary School, School
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olle/pseuds/olle
Summary: Yixing is the new kid at school, freshly moved to the city from China, along with his mother. He knows no one, barely speaks the language and when the teacher introduces him, 20 or so unimpressed faces glare back at him.It does not make matters better when he accidentally makes enemies with one of the boys of the cool gang in his class and now, they're out to get him.
Kudos: 2





	friends (working title)

**Author's Note:**

> So, I worked at a school for two years as a teacher's assistant, so this story is inspired by those experiences, as well as stuff from my own childhood. And right now I'm really feeling this particular AU, so I guess I'll just go with the flow in me.
> 
> I do have an actual plot planned for this bUT also a strong tendency to get bored after a week of doing the same thing, so chances are high that I do not finish this even with my very specific storyline in mind.
> 
> Still, please enjoy-

As Yixing takes a determined step entering the classroom, he breathes in the atmosphere and decides that he will be fine. Being nervous is part of change, his mother had told him just before she dropped him off by the gate, and he will not make a fool of himself the first day of school. 

There are people everywhere, and Yixing is suddenly very happy he refused his mother’s request of joining him at his first day. The kids are chatting loudly and first, don’t seem to notice his presence at all. 

So many children, so many names and personalities. Will some of these people be his friends, in a few days’ time? 

He swallows, takes a firm hold of the straps of his backpack and walks forward, feeling eyes shoot at him from all angles. Whispers being exchanged amongst the students. 

“Hi! Are you new?” asks a boy with huge ears and warm eyes as he steps into Yixing’s field of view. 

“Y-yes! I’m Yixing!” 

The kid smiles brightly at him, and only has time to open his mouth before the voice of the teacher interrupts him. She is very short for an adult, Yixing realises, but glows with authority and confidence. So everyone immediately shuts up and turns to look at her, eyes dreading. 

“Alright, have a seat everyone.” 

The kid that spoke to Yixing quickly whispers: “I’m Jongdae.” before he and and everybody else make quickly for their seats, while Yixing finds himself standing like an idiot in the middle of the room. 

“Everyone remembers I talked about a new student coming to join us? Come here, Yixing.” 

His legs does are they are told without Yixing even having time to think about it. He stands beside the teacher and turns to meet the many faces staring at him. 

“This here is Zhang Yixing. Would you like to tell us about yourself?” 

“Um…” His eyes wander around among the kids, suddenly acutely aware of ever part of his body being on display. “I’m... Yixing… Nice to meet you…” is everything his brain delivers. 

“Do you have any hobbies, Yixing?” the teacher tries with a forced smile on her lips. 

“Uh, yes, I-I like to dance… and listen to music, and play games and…” 

Some students grin at that, a few whispers heard from the back of the classroom. The teacher tells the disturbance off sharply, before interrogating Yixing further about his favourite subject, where he used to live, his family and so on. 

“It’s just me and my mother, we live in an apartment not far from here!" 

“That’s very nice! What does your mother do?” 

“I… don’t know, actually.” 

“Well, you should ask her about her job, Yixing. Later this year, we will have a day when students can bring their parents here and let them talk to us about their work! About that,” she continues on talking about the schedule for the week and month, but not before telling Yixing to have a seat at the assigned empty place in the middle of the room. 

Yixing spots the vacant chair, and awkwardly shuffles over there. He sits down, putting his bag to the side and glances at the kids beside him. They do not glance back. 

He swallows, and tries to focus on the instructions being given in front of them. 

When lunch break arrives, the teacher gains the students’ attention before sending them off. 

“Everyone, I want you to show our new student where we eat and then, at lunch break, show him around the school yard. Remember what we talked about!” 

Some people nod and mumble unenthusiastically, and with that, they all gather their things and begin chatting again. Everyone but Yixing. He overhears too many topics to remember; about the epic latest video game, about football practice after school, about what someone hopes the lunch food will be today… 

He awkwardly follows the crowd to the cafeteria and does exactly what he sees everyone else doing, trying to blend in as best he can. He sees the boy called Jongdae talking to some other boys in varying shapes and sizes, and when he notices Yixing glancing, his face brightens as to say something, when his friends demands his attention by tapping his arm, and he can only manage a smile before going to get his lunch food. 

Yixing ends up sitting with some girls in silence as he listens to them talk about a singer they really love. For some reason, he can’t seem to find the right time to join in on their conversation, finds himself locked out of their bubble of fun. 

Lunch break outside is even worse; he realises now that these kids are nothing if not rich. He himself is wearing an oversized, visibly worn jacket, given to him second-hand by an elder cousin while the other kids are wearing luxurious brand clothing. He feels his cheeks burn at the emvarassment, and he isn't sure if he's imagining the judging glances. 

He is walking by himself, looking around hopelessly for something to do, when he spots Jongdae again, pushing away at his friend on a swing and yelling with laughter, and he feels his whole body energised with the idea of joining them. 

But just as he starts jogging up, his foot strikes something soft and a loud groan is heard from under him.

  
“Hey!” a voice calls from his side, and Yixing doesn’t have time to turn before he is being shoved. 

“You kicked him! You kicked Chanyeol!” 

Yixing looks down at the soft thing his foot had unintentionally kicked and is panicked to find a tall boy, or rather the head of one, who is lying buried under a blanket of sand. 

The boy who shoved him is of equal height as himself and he shouldn’t feel intimidated, but he really does. 

“Sorry! It was an accident!” Yixing tries but the kid holds no mercy. 

“No it wasn't! That was on purpose!” the kid shoves him again, fury rendering his whole being. 

“What’s going on, Baekhyunie?” someone else says; another boy walking up to them. He is followed by yet another boy, who is short and remains silent, wearing a displeased expression. 

“New Kid kicked Chanyeol in the face!” hisses the angry kid. 

The tall kid on the ground groans louder and the angry kid bends down to help him up, brushing the sand off his clothes. 

“I’m fine…” mumbles the tall one in a dizzy voice, grabbing hold of the angry kid as he tries to launch himself at Yixing once more. 

“Sorry! I didn’t see you!” Yixing has his hands up in protest. 

“Liar! You’re lying!” 

“Baekhyunie, it’s fine.” The tall one pats the angry one’s arm and drags him away to distract him. 

“New kid,” says the one who approaced him before. “your name is Yixing, right?” 

“Yes…?” 

Then he squints his eyes darkly, staring him down. 

“Well, _Yixing_ ; you mess with my friends, I will mess with you." he threatens, poison dripping from his words. 

Yixing is left standing there, not really believing his ears, while the small gang of friends walk away.

The rest of the day feels like a bomb ticking, and Yixing nearly bolts out of the classroom after the last lesson for the day. He has already made up his mind not to stay for even a minute of after-school care, even though his mother told him to do so.

He lets out a loud sigh of relief as he comes home, throwing his backpack along with himself into the sofa. He stares at the wall for some time, arms folded around his legs and face full of questionmarks.

When his mother arrives, some hours later, she finds Yixing in his room, trying to focus his attention on the piles homework, and when she asks him about the day he only hesitates for the blink of an eye before lying.

She eyes her son suspiciously and he is almost startled when she calls his bullshit out through a yell. It's all love, and Yixing is so used to her rollercoaster of emotions that it'd be very strange indeed had she told him in some other manner. Had she not gone on and on about how he must see the opportunitues and conquer them, be the captain of his own success – had she _not_ delivered him a speech right there and then, he would have felt put off.

But she did, and now Yixing is lying in bed with freshly brushed teeth and an equal amount of butterflies in his stomach as the night before, – but this time a plan is starting to take shape in his mind.


End file.
